Michael D. Nakasone, Bandmaster

POWERS, DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS The Royal Hawaiian Band serves as the official band of the City and County of Honolulu and has the distinction of being the only full-time municipal band in the nation and the only band in the United States of America established by a royal kingdom. The Band represents the City and County of Honolulu at public events and provides a wide variety of music for the educational and cultural needs of the community. Due to its cultural heritage, the Band endeavors to maintain its observance of and its participation in all events that were established during the Hawaiian monarchy era. The Royal Hawaiian Band is made up of 40 full-time positions and functions as a concert band, a marching band and a glee club ensemble. The administrative and operational affairs of the band are handled by the bandmaster, assistant administrator, brass supervisor, woodwind supervisor, glee club leader, assistant conductor, drum major, librarian-in-charge, assistant librarian, field coordinator and senior clerk-typist. With the exceptions of the bandmaster and the senior clerk–typist, the other positions listed are dual positions – they are musicians in the band in addition to their administrative and staff responsibilities.

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS During Fiscal Year 2009 the Band and Glee Club performed a total of 322 performances. The Band performed for the City co-sponsored Honolulu Family Festival at Magic Island. The concerts were well attended by residents and visitors to this family event. The Band performed in the City co-sponsored Royal Hawaiian Band Children’s Choral Festival 2009 at the Pearl City Learning Center. The festival featured the vocal talents of students from Maemae Elementary School, Momilani Elementary School, Nuuanu Elementary School, Kalihi Waena Elementary School, Manana Elementary School, Salt Lake Elementary School, and Pearl City High School. A requirement of each choir was to perform a Hawaiian selection. Weekly concerts are on-going on the lawn at the Iolani Palace on Fridays and at the Queen bandstand on ­Sundays. Regular performances were scheduled at the Windward Mall, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Mililani Town Center, Pearlridge ­Shopping

RHB-260 Center, Kahala Mall, Kapolei Hale and the City Hall annex in West Oahu. The Band also performed public concerts at the Royal Grove of the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian Center. Hawaiian cultural and monarchial events featured the Band at the Queen Liliuokalani birthday commemoration, Queen Emma’s memorial tribute, King Kalakaua’s birthday celebra- tion, the Prince Kuhio Parade, the colorful Aloha Fes- tivals Floral Parade and the regal King Kamehameha Floral Parade. The Band performed for other cultural and commu- nity events, including the Honolulu and Kapolei City Lights Parades, the Matsuri Parade, the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, the Pan Pacific Parade, the Night in Chinatown Parade and numerous other community parades. Community concerts were performed at the Waialua Bandstand, I Love Liliha Festival, Kalihi Sunset in the Park, Waimanalo Country Fair, Korean Festival, Okinawan Festival, Samoan Festival, Viet- namese Festival, Filipino Fiesta and a Bastille Day performance at the Yacht Club. The Band also performed for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department’s annual May Day celebration featuring entertainment and a magnificent floral display. From the sounding of the pu (conch shell) and the opening oli (chant) to the musical, vocal and hula styling of its talented members, the Royal Hawaiian Band continues to promote and perpetuate the music of , and provide a unique musical experience.

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